Day 4: 3 Ways to Keep Yourself on Track

1. Track your weight: The age-old advice to step on the scale at least once a week really does help boost pound-shedding success. Daily weigh-ins work, too—the important thing is that you start to notice whether the numbers are going up, down or staying the same. When you weigh yourself, you’re more likely to notice if you go up a pound or two…and not let the number keep going up. The EatingWell menu planner has a weight-tracking feature or take note in your food diary. If you’re not a fan of the scale, pay close attention to how your clothes fit to help you keep track.

2. Write what you bite: There are other tracking tools to help you keep on the right path to meeting your weight-loss goals. Try keeping a food diary to record the foods you eat each day—this self-awareness will help you eat less. Our Food Diary (click to download PDF) will help you track your daily intake to see if you are achieving your goals.

3. Log your exercise: Also, now that you’ve put exercise in your calendar, consider starting an Activity Log (click to download PDF) to give yourself credit for being active, and to see each activity add up!

Today’s Editor’s Tip:Hilary Meyer, Associate Food Editor
“When I’m trying to eat and live healthier, I like to be held accountable by someone or something. That’s why I love the Shine by Misfit Wearables activity tracker, which tracks my movement from my wrist. It lets me know how much “exercise” I’ve been getting by measuring my activity. So small simple things, like parking my car farther away from the building, for example, is counted toward my activity. The little things really add up! Even when I’m not wearing it, I still find myself making these small efforts toward better health.”

Lisa D'Agrosa is EatingWell's associate nutrition editor. She earned her master's degree in nutrition communication from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University and attended the dietetic internship program at Massachusetts General Hospital to become a registered dietitian.